N.S. cross-burning target's car torched

The Nova Scotia woman who awoke to the sight of a burning cross on her lawnhas nowseen her car destroyed by fire.

Michelle Lyon's car was set aflame early Saturday, two days before two brothers accused of a hate crime against her interracial family were due in court.

Windsor district RCMP said the car fire was suspicious.

Const. George Cameron said investigators are trying to determine whether it's connected to the cross-burning in February.

"Members are exploring all avenues," he told CBC News on Monday. "We're not ruling out anything."

The RCMP's forensic identification unit and fire officials are investigating.

The fire destroyed Lyon's Toyota Echo, which was parked at the home of a relative in Avondale, Hants County.

Lyon said she considers the fire "very suspicious," but refused to speculate if it was related to the cross-burning.

"I feel angry, very angry. That was my car and there's nothing left to it," she said.

"I said before, what's next, what's next? And now my car is burnt. I'm just hurt, very extremely hurt and angry.The fear factor has gone up, to say the least,because everything seems to revolve around fire, so anybody would be afraid."

Meanwhile, one of the two brothers accused of burning a cross on the lawn of Lyons and her fianc Shayne Howe on Feb. 21 will go to trial in October to facea hate-crime charge.

A lawyer for Justin Rehberg, 19, entered four not-guilty pleas on behalf of his client Monday in Windsor provincial court.

Rehberg's brother, Nathan, 20, did not enter any pleas.

The Rehbergs are charged with criminal harassment, public incitement of hatred, mischief and uttering threats.

They're accused of burning a two-metre-high cross outside the Poplar Grove home of Lyon and Howe, an interracial couple, and yelling racial slurs at the terrified family inside.

The Rehbergs were granted bailon March 2and ordered to stay with their grandparents on Old Brooklyn Road. They were also ordered to obey a 9 p.m. curfew, avoid drugs and alcohol, and stay away from Lyon, Howe and their children.

Lyon is a distant relative of the Rehbergs.